Device that provides assistance in using a handrail and a handrail including such a device

ABSTRACT

A device that provides assistance in using a handrail, the device comprising two parts that together form a stirrup shape and that are clamped onto said handrail using assembly means.

[0001] The invention relates to a device that provides assistance in going up and down stairs or sloping planes, and to a device that provides assistance in walking along a passage provided with a handrail.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The term “stairs” refers to an indoor or outdoor structure for use in moving up or down and comprising a series of steps or rungs enabling a person to go up or down from one level to another, e.g. between two floors, and provided with a handrail disposed on a balustrade forming a safety barrier, or fixed to a wall via brackets.

[0003] The term “stairs” also refers to straight stairs without risers known as “open stairs” of the type provided with a handrail, swimming pool ladders, or any other equivalent structure.

[0004] The term “sloping plane” refers to a ramp enabling a person to pass smoothly from one level to another, e.g. a ramp for the disabled.

[0005] Many people experience difficulties when going up or down stairs or up or down a sloping plane.

[0006] Such difficulties can be associated with the surroundings: stairs in a ship in rough water; or a stairwell that is dark as a result of a power cut or the presence of smoke.

[0007] Such difficulties can be of short duration: people temporarily prone to blackouts or dizziness, e.g. convalescents.

[0008] Such difficulties can be of longer duration: pregnant women, people with orthoses or prostheses, for example.

[0009] Such difficulties can be permanent: elderly, disabled, or overweight people, people suffering from osteoarthritis or from spondylarthritis, people suffering from incapacitating illnesses (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, . . . ).

[0010] In France it is estimated that one in two people over the age of 65 has difficulties in going up or down a flight of stairs without stopping, and 17% require the assistance of a person to go up stairs (source: INSEE CREDES, decennial inquiry into health and medical care 1980-1991). Walking difficulties affect 26% of people between the ages of 70 and 74, and nearly 57% of people over the age of 80. More than 30% of octogenarians remain confined to their homes, often because it is difficult for them to manage stairs.

[0011] In 1995, in the United States, for a population of more than 30 million elderly people over the age of 65, 15 million had difficulties in going up stairs without stopping (source: US Census Bureau, The Survey of Income and Program Participation 1994-1995).

[0012] In Belgium, accidents on stairs represent 7% of accidents in the home (source: EHLASS), with approximately 170 deaths per year as a result of falls on stairs (source: NIS), the victims usually being elderly people.

[0013] A wide range of devices designed to provide assistance in going up and down stairs are already known in the prior art.

[0014] Some of those devices are very costly and complicated to put in place, e.g. motor-driven seats. Motor-driven seats are very tricky to install on straight stairs, and they do not contribute to preserving the physical capabilities of the elderly person.

[0015] Some prior art devices that are simpler and less costly than motor-driven seats mainly consist in putting a special handrail in place on at least one side of the stairs.

[0016] Reference can be made to the following documents, for example:

[0017] British patent applications published under the numbers 1 487 558, 2 106 790, 2 147 928, 2 218 344, 2 188 344, 2 257 723, 2 268 145, 2 281 923, 2 309 468;

[0018] German patent applications published under the numbers 131511, 514055, 19518245;

[0019] French patent applications published under the numbers 2 558 873, 2 610 345;

[0020] European patent applications published under the numbers 372 743, 452 017; and

[0021] patents granted in the United States under the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,253,287, 4,823,524, 4,899,989, 5,022,197, 5,749,808.

[0022] In the prior art, various safety handrails are also known pointing the way to an exit for people with impaired vision, or indicating a safety exit for use in an emergency such as a fire, for example.

[0023] Reference can be made to the following documents, for example:

[0024] American patent granted under the U.S. Pat. No. 5 636 479; and

[0025] international patent application published under the number 93/13504.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0026] The invention seeks to provide a device that can provide assistance both in going up and in going down stairs or a sloping plane, and that also enables a safety handrail to be made, said device not presenting the drawbacks of previously known devices.

[0027] The invention seeks in particular to provide a device which is of simple construction, easy to put into place on a handrail, without damaging said handrail, and which is safe and low in cost.

[0028] To this end, the invention relates to a device that provides assistance in using a handrail, the device comprising two parts that together form a stirrup shape and that are clamped onto said handrail using assembly means.

[0029] In various embodiments, the device presents the following characteristics, possibly in combination:

[0030] the assembly means comprise bolt or screw means;

[0031] a “bottom” first part is generally U-shaped;

[0032] the first part includes, on at least one of its two limbs, a recess suitable for housing a spacer;

[0033] it comprises a “top” part having an outside face that is shaped so as to match the inside curvature of a hand;

[0034] the outside face comprises a rear portion forming an angle greater than 70° relative to the top face of the handrail in register with the assembled device;

[0035] it presents a longitudinal plane of symmetry;

[0036] the top part comprises an outside face which, at least locally, is substantially in the form of an arc of a circle or of an ellipse, when seen in a transverse plane;

[0037] the outside face of the top part, when seen in a longitudinal plane, comprises a rear portion and a front portion that are substantially plane and that are connected by an egg-shaped section;

[0038] the outside face of the top part is provided with excess thickness limited by a curved line;

[0039] the outside face comprises a bearing portion for the palm of the user's hand, said bearing portion being made of a material that is much softer than the material forming the rest of the top portion;

[0040] the two parts are provided with abutment surfaces that are substantially plane and that are suitable for coming into contact with each other when the device is mounted on a handrail of depth not greater than the minimum depth of the opening defined by the two parts;

[0041] the two abutment surfaces comprise ribs or teeth that are capable of being interfitted;

[0042] the two abutment surfaces are shaped so as to enable the two pieces to be assembled together using an assembly method selected from the group comprising rebating, barbs, a crossed butt-joint, a dovetail configuration, a pegged butt-joint, and a tenon joint; and

[0043] an external side plate reinforces assembly of the two assembled-together pieces.

[0044] In a second aspect, the invention provides a handrail comprising at least one device as presented above, the handrail being mounted on balusters or directly on a wall via brackets or other equivalent means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of embodiments, which description is given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0046]FIG. 1 is a exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the device of the invention;

[0047]FIG. 2 is a view of the device of FIG. 1, when the two parts are assembled together and in abutment with each other;

[0048]FIG. 3 is a rear, exploded, perspective view of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0049]FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2, when the two parts are assembled together and in abutment with each other;

[0050]FIG. 5 is a side view of the device, in the assembled state of FIGS. 2 and 4;

[0051]FIG. 6 is a view from above of the device of FIGS. 1 to 5;

[0052]FIG. 7 is a section view on plane VII-VII of FIG. 5;

[0053]FIG. 8 is a section view on plane VIII-VIII of FIG. 6;

[0054]FIG. 9 is a side view of an embodiment of the device of the invention in a mounted position on a handrail;

[0055]FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9, the hand of a user being shown in the working position of the device when going up stairs; and

[0056]FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 9, the hand of the user being shown in the working position of the device when going down stairs.

MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] The device 1 comprises two parts 2, 3 connected together using assembly means 4.

[0058] In the following description, the terms “bottom”, “top”, and “side”, are used with reference to a point P placed at the center of the opening 5 defined by the two assembled-together parts 2, 3. The terms “front” and “rear” are used relative to movement going up the stairs whose handrail is shown in FIG. 9 (arrow M).

[0059] As shown in the figures, the handrail 6 on which the device 1 is mounted is received in the opening 5, said device being stirrup-shaped.

[0060] In FIG. 9, the handrail 6 is supported by balusters 7. As will be understood by the person skilled in the art, the device 1 can, in an embodiment not shown, also be mounted on a handrail fixed to a wall via brackets.

[0061] The two assembled parts 2, 3 clamp onto the handrail between two successive balusters 7 or between two brackets.

[0062] The bottom part 2 is U-shaped and comprises a base wall 8, and two limbs 9 that are substantially parallel to each other.

[0063] By way of indication, the outside width l_(e) of the bottom part 2 is about 9 cm, the two limbs being separated by an inside width l_(i) of about 6 cm.

[0064] These dimensions enable the device 1 to be mounted on most existing handrails, given the width of handrails and their clearance relative to side walls when handrails are mounted on brackets.

[0065] In an embodiment, the device 1 is provided with means enabling it to be adapted to handrails of various widths and shapes, said means being described below.

[0066] The top part 3 comprises an outside face 10 which, when seen in a transverse plane parallel to that of FIG. 7 and lying between planes P1 and P2 of FIG. 5, is substantially in the form of an arc of a circle or of an ellipse. The plane P1 is tangential to the front end 11 of the device.

[0067] The outside face 10 of the top part 3, when seen in a longitudinal plane parallel to that of FIG. 5 and lying between planes P3 and P4 of FIG. 6, comprises a rear portion 12 and a front portion 13 that are substantially plane and that are connected by an egg-shaped section 14. The outside face is provided with excess thickness 15A limited by a curved line 15. The excess thickness is shaded in FIG. 6.

[0068] The shape of the outside surface 10 of the top piece 3 is thus ergonomic.

[0069] When the user goes up the stairs or the ramp (FIG. 10), the palm of the hand is pressed against the biconvex zone 16 bounded by the line 15, the fingers being pressed against the front portion 13 of the top part 3, the front part being significantly inclined and almost perpendicular to the handrail 6. The user thus has an excellent grip and is able, by pulling with the arm, to obtain assistance in getting up the steps or the sloping plane.

[0070] When the user goes down the stairs (FIG. 11), the palm of the hand is pressed against the front portion 13 of the top part 3, the fingers being pressed against the biconvex zone bounded by the line 15. The user is well supported against the front zone 13 which is almost perpendicular to the handrail, and is able to support the weight of the body while going downstairs and thus reduce the load on the legs.

[0071] In order to match the shape of the hands, the line 15 comprises a zone in the shape of a re-entrant arc 17.

[0072] In the embodiment shown, the device presents an overall plane of symmetry S perpendicular to FIG. 6.

[0073] In the embodiment shown, the assembly means for assembling together the two parts 2, 3 comprise two threaded rods 18, 19 each inserted in a respective hole 20 passing through the bottom part 2, the threaded rods penetrating into the top part 3, into respective bores 21 provided with complementary inside threads.

[0074] The resulting assembly can easily be removed without damaging the handrail.

[0075] In other embodiments (not shown) the two parts are assembled together by some other method which enables rapid removal, e.g. screwing, snap-fastening.

[0076] In yet other embodiments, when the device is intended to remain for a long time or permanently mounted on the handrail, assembly can be performed by welding, gluing, or riveting, or by any other equivalent means, accompanied where necessary by screwing or bolting, as described above.

[0077] In other embodiments, the device comprises two hinged-together parts forming jaws that clamp onto the handrail using assembly means such as straps, screws, or other equivalent means. Thus, in an embodiment not shown, the two parts 2, 3 of FIG. 1 are, for example, hinged about a longitudinal hinge connecting the surfaces 22, 23.

[0078] A desired number of the devices can be installed on a handrail, the devices being evenly or unevenly disposed as a function of the desires of the user.

[0079] Depending on how the user feels about the devices, they can be moved or other devices can be added in order to improve user comfort when going up or down.

[0080] In the embodiment shown, the two parts 2, 3 are provided with abutment surfaces 22, 23 that are substantially plane and that come into contact with each other when said device is fitted on a handrail of shallow depth.

[0081] In order to improve the quality of the contact between the two abutment surfaces, in some embodiments, said surfaces comprise ribs or teeth that are capable of being interfitted. In yet other embodiments, the two surfaces 22, 23 can be assembled using rebating, barbs, a crossed butt-joint, a dovetail configuration, a pegged butt-joint, or a tenon joint, and a side plate can be used to reinforce the assembly if necessary.

[0082] The means enabling the device to be adapted to various shapes of handrail while preserving the integrity and the appearance of the surface of the handrails on which the device is to be mounted are described below.

[0083] In order not to mark the surface of the handrail, in an embodiment, the device includes a soft covering over the periphery 24 of the opening 5. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the periphery comprises a top portion in the shape of a re-entrant arc 25 contributing to a more uniform distribution of stresses on the top face of the handrail when the two parts are clamped onto said handrail 6.

[0084] The threaded rods and the bores 21 are long enough to enable the device to be mounted on handrails of various depths. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 1, 5, and 6, the surfaces 22, 23 of the two parts are not in contact when the depth of the handrail is greater than the height h_(m) of the opening 5.

[0085] If necessary, several sets of bottom and top parts 2, 3 could naturally be provided in order to offer a wide variety of possible shapes and dimensions for the opening 5.

[0086] Recesses 26 enable spacers (not shown) to be put in place. Putting a spacer in place in one of the recesses 26 or in both of the recesses 26 enables the device 1 to be mounted on handrails of various heights.

[0087] In an embodiment, the device 1 is mounted as follows:

[0088] the two parts 2, 3 are placed above and below the handrail between two brackets or two balusters, after placing the spacers in the recesses 26 if necessary;

[0089] the two parts 2, 3 are tightened together lightly so as to enable them to slide with friction over the handrail;

[0090] the device 1 is moved to the location desired by the user; and

[0091] the two parts 2, 3 are tightened together firmly so as to prevent the device 1 from sliding.

[0092] In order to improve safety, in an embodiment, the outside face of the top part 3 includes gripping ribs increasing the friction between the user's hand and the device. In a variant, or in combination, a non-slip material constitutes or covers the outside face 10 of the top part 3.

[0093] In an embodiment, the top part comprises a biconvex zone 16 made of a material that is different from the material forming the rest of the top part 3. For example, the zone 16 is made of a polymer material, such as polypropylene, that is softer than the polymer material forming the rest of the top part. In an embodiment, a two-material top part made of soft and hard polypropylene is thus obtained by co-injection. Such an embodiment improves the user's grip on the device.

[0094] The device 1 can be made of a material selected from the group comprising natural wood, wood compressed with a resin, wood hardened by an alcoholic solution of bakelite, compressed wood, metal alloys and in particular aluminum alloys, and polymer materials (phenolic plastics, polyvinyls, polyolefins, polyurethanes) possibly reinforced with fibers.

[0095] In an embodiment, the device is molded from a metal material or from a polymer material.

[0096] As will be easily understood by the person skilled in the art, the device of the invention can be put in place on the handrails of straight stairs, stairs with quarterspace landings, open-newel stairs, wreathed stairs, and spiral stairs, but can also be put in place on a handrail for a sloping plane or a corridor, whether said handrail is mounted on a baluster or on a wall.

[0097] The invention thus provides a device that can provide assistance both in going up and in going down stairs or a sloping plane, and that also enables safety handrails to be made, said device not presenting the drawbacks of previously known devices, and being of simple construction and easy to put into place on a handrail, without damaging said handrail, said device being safe to use and low in cost. 

1/ A device that provides assistance in using a handrail, the device comprising two parts that together form a stirrup shape and that are clamped onto said handrail using assembly means. 2/ A device according to claim 1, wherein the assembly means comprise bolt or screw means. 3/ A device according to claim 1, wherein a “bottom” first part is generally U-shaped. 4/ A device according to claim 3, wherein the first part includes, on at least one of its two limbs, a recess suitable for housing a spacer. 5/ A device according to claim 1, comprising a “top” part having an outside face that is shaped so as to match the inside curvature of a hand. 6/ A device according to claim 5, wherein the outside face comprises a rear portion forming an angle greater than 70° relative to the top face of the handrail in register with the assembled device. 7/ A device according to claim 1, presenting a longitudinal plane of symmetry. 8/ A device according to claim 1, wherein the top part comprises an outside face which, at least locally, is substantially in the form of an arc of a circle or of an ellipse, when seen in a transverse plane. 9/ A device according to claim 8, wherein the outside face of the top part, when seen in a longitudinal plane, comprises a rear portion and a front portion that are substantially plane and that are connected by an egg-shaped section. 10/ A device according to claim 9, wherein the outside face of the top part is provided with excess thickness limited by a curved line. 11/ A device according to claim 5, wherein the top part comprises a bearing portion for the palm of the hand of the user, said bearing portion being made of a material that is much softer than the material forming the rest of the top portion. 12/ A device according to claim 1, wherein the two parts are provided with abutment surfaces that are substantially plane and that are suitable for coming into contact with each other when the device is mounted on a handrail of depth not greater than the minimum depth of the opening defined by the two parts. 13/ A device according to claim 12, wherein the two abutment surfaces comprise ribs or teeth that are capable of being interfitted. 14/ A device according to claim 12, wherein the two abutment surfaces are shaped so as to enable the two pieces to be assembled together using an assembly method selected from the group comprising rebating, barbs, a crossed butt-joint, a dovetail configuration, a pegged butt-joint, and a tenon joint. 15/ A device according to claim 1, wherein an external side plate reinforces assembly of the two assembled-together pieces. 16/ A handrail comprising at least one device as presented in claim 1, the handrail being mounted on balusters or directly on a wall via brackets or other equivalent means. 